You Have Been Cleansed

I’ve noticed that some Christians seem to agonize over past sins. But when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have been cleansed.

I came across the following verses during my reading this morning. I think they make the point better than I can.

2 Peter 1:3-11 NIV

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

So what past sins are you still agonizing over?

It’s about time you left the past in the past and started living an effective and productive life for God going forward.

Stay Informed

Comments

It is not things done in the past that I find so troubling, rather it is what I am at the heart of who I am right now that is unsettling. The sins I have done are little compared to the sin that I am, those things that I would do right now if left to myself apart from the grace found in Christ. As long as I may live, I have no hope that in myself that there will be anything good. And the loss of that particular hope has been the most freeing thing. For years I have so wanted to find some good in myself, desperately so after times that I sinned. The lie that I kept believing after sinning, was that when the guilt that my conscience was burdened with was relieved, that I would feel good about myself, that I was OK. It was a great feeling up until the next time I did the same sin. It’s not so great a feeling to realize that I am not a good person who sometimes sins, instead I am a man who, apart from acting faith in Christ, will only sin. After sinning, what makes things worse is the enemy of the soul who works to crush me by convincing me that it is no use going on in the Christian life, that God is done with me. Well, to hell with that and with him too. God is not done with me. That’s what Christ means to me, that there is hope. In the midst of the crushing burden of having sinned and being a sinner, Christ is the power of resurrection that enables me to stand. He is the way forward in this life that is so filled with troubles. Philippians 3 gives a good outlook: “…one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” There is also the encouragement from the many past and present followers of Jesus that thru faith in Christ I will make it home. Hebrews 12 says, “…since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…” Looking to Jesus. . . so much more hope to be found looking to Him and seeing Him than I can ever hope to find in myself.

Massoud, I agree what you said as well as I agree with what Paul said in Romans 7:7-25 especially v24 & 25 “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God- through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Our answer to this is found in Romans 8: God Bless.

You have a choice, look at sin or look at the Savior. Looking at your own sin produces Guilt. Guilt is simply put, more sin. Looking at the sin of others brings being judgmental. Being judgmental is also sin. Looking at sin is a destructive use of your time and would be much better spent in Prayer, Meditation, and reading of the Word. These principals are the root of happiness.

Speaking of the Word, diligent reading will reveal the following revelation concerning your sin. “I will remember your sin no more, forever.” check for yourself. HE has already forgotten your sin so why would you want to remember it?